Hair styling iron having a pick and comb

ABSTRACT

An attachment for a hair styling iron, or a new hair styling iron, includes a hair pick and plurality of comb teeth. The hair pick, which is used for selecting and separating hair, may be moveable between an extended position and a retracted position. The comb teeth are located adjacent to a heating element for extending into the hair when the hair styling iron contacts and moves along the length of a bundle of hair. The attachment may be slid over a heating element arm, wherein a retaining lip hooks around to engage an inner surface of the heating element arm adjacent to the heating element. In another embodiment, a new hair styling iron includes comb teeth adjacent to a heating element of the hair styling iron, and a hair pick that extends beyond the end of a heating element arm of the hair styling iron.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to hair styling devices, and more particularly to an attachment for a hair styling iron having a pick and comb.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Fashionable hairstyles frequently require the straightening of a person's hair to remove a curl from the hair. Since heat may aid in the straightening of hair, stylists or individuals styling their own hair frequently use a hair styling iron to remove hair curls. Such a hair styling iron is preferably a flatiron, such as styling iron 20 shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated, styling iron 20 includes two heating element arms 22 pivotally connected by hinge 24. One or more heating elements 26 is mounted at the end and on the inside face of each heating element arm 22. When heating element arms 22 are moved toward a closed position, the inside faces of heating element arms 22 come together to heat and flatten a selected bundle of hair 28.

Before the hair is heated, a bundle of hair strands of a manageable size is selected from the scalp of the person having their hair straightened. A brush 30 having a rat-tail or pick 32 is frequently used to separate selected bundle of hair 28 from the remaining hair on the scalp of the person. Brush 30 may also be used to separate, distribute, and align the strands of hair in selected bundle of hair 28 before heating element 26 is applied to bundle 28 and styling iron 20 is drawn over the length of hair 28.

In the prior art, the person styling the hair must frequently alternate between using pick 32, brush 30, and styling iron 20 as different bundles of hair 28 are selected around the person's scalp. This constant changing and swapping tools takes time and increases the possibility that the hair styling tools will be dropped and broken or contaminated. This frequent swamping also fatigues the stylist. If the stylist is being paid for straightening the hair, the speed of the operation is important to the profitability of the stylist. If the stylist can spend less time straightening hair, the stylist will be able to service more customers and increase profits.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved method and apparatus for styling hair that provides a means for separating hair and directing hair over a heated surface of a hair styling iron.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An attachment for a hair styling iron, or a new hair styling iron, includes a hair pick and plurality of comb teeth. The hair pick, which is used for selecting and separating hair, may be moveable between an extended position and a retracted position. The comb teeth may be located adjacent to a heating element for extending into the hair when the hair styling iron contacts and moves along the length of a selected bundle of hair.

In one embodiment, an attachment body includes means for attaching the attachment body to a heating element arm of a hair styling iron. One attachment means uses a retaining lip that hooks around to engage the inner surface of the heating element arm, which is adjacent to the heating element. A hair pick extends from the attachment body for separating hair on a scalp. And a plurality of comb teeth extend from the attachment body from locations positioned to engage and guide hair that is in contact with a heating element of the hair styling iron when the attachment body is attached to the heating element arm.

In another embodiment, a new hair styling iron includes comb teeth adjacent to a heating element of the hair styling iron, and a hair pick that extends beyond the end of a heating element arm of the hair styling iron.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers designate like parts, and in which:

FIGS. 1 is a perspective view of a person having their hair straightened with a conventional brush and hair styling iron known in the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a person having their hair straightened with a hair styling iron and a pick and comb attachment in accordance with the method and apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pick and comb attachment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the pick and comb attachment when it is attached to a heating element arm of a hair styling iron;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the hair styling iron having the pick and comb attachment on a heating element arm; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the pick and comb attachment taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular with reference to FIG. 2, there is depicted a person having their hair straightened with the use of hair styling iron 20 and pick and comb attachment 40 attached to a heating element arm 22. Heating element arms 22 each have a hinge end near hinge 24, and a heating element end near heating elements 26. In a preferred embodiment, heating elements 26 have flat surfaces that cooperate with each other to straighten hair.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, pick and comb attachment 40 includes shell 42, which is shaped and adapted to be removably mounted to the heating element end of heating element arm 22 of hair styling iron 20 (See FIG. 4). A plurality of comb teeth 44 extend or protrude from shell 42 so that they engage hair strands that are contacting the heating element surface 26.

Pick 46 extends from shell 42 so that it can be used as a parting tool for selecting and separating a bundle of hair 28 (See FIG. 2) on a person's scalp. Pick 46 is long enough to extend from a top layer of hair down to a person's scalp. In a preferred embodiment, pick 46 extends about five to six centimeters from the end of shell 42, and is parallel with a longitudinal axis of heating element arm 22. Pick 46 is preferably made of plastic, with a conical, rounded point, which reduces the chance of scratching or penetrating the skin on a person's scalp.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, shell 42 of a preferred embodiment has an opening 48 for receiving an end of a heating element arm 22, which includes a heating element 26. Inserting a heating-element end of heating element arm 22 into opening 48 and sliding pick and comb attachment 40 on to the end of arm 22 is the preferred means of attaching pick and comb attachment 40 to hair styling iron 20.

Shell 42 is adapted to wrap around the back of heating element arm 22, as may be seen in the section view of FIG. 6, which looks toward the end of heating element arm 22 along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. Shell 42 contacts heating element arm 22 at walls 50 on the back side of arm 22, and at side walls 52 on the sides of arm 22, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Shell 42 is preferably made of plastic, or other thermal insulating material, and it does not contact heating element 26.

A plurality of comb teeth 44 extend from the end of side walls 52, preferably in a plane perpendicular to the face or surface of heating element 26. Comb teeth 44 extend beyond the surface of heating element 26 so that comb teeth 44 can engage hair that comes in contact across the face of heating element 26. Comb teeth 44 should not be so long that they interfere with heating elements 26 coming together to flatten hair, or so long that operation of the styling iron becomes difficult. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, comb teeth 44 are preferably located at the ends of side walls 52 on both sides of heating element 26. With comb teeth 44 on both sides, hair strands in hair bundle 28 may be combed, separated, aligned, and held in straight alignment across heating element 26 as the heat straightens the hair.

In alternative embodiments of the present invention, comb teeth 44 may be implemented with other hair separating and aligning means, such as bristles or tines like those used on conventional brushes. The bristles may be made of natural material or synthetic material. A combination of comb teeth and bristles may be used. Comb teeth may be used on one side of heating element 26 while bristles are used on the other side. The hair separating and aligning means should not make it unduly difficult to draw styling iron 20 along the length of hair bundle 28 when heating elements 26 are close together, in contact with hair bundle 28.

Retaining lips 54 are also located at the end of side walls 52 for holding shell 42 in place at the end of heating element arm 22. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, retaining lip 54 extends inward, and perpendicular to side wall 52 at the end of side wall 52 to engage or contact the inner face 56 of heating element arm 22 adjacent to heating element 26. Thus, shell 42 is attached or held in place on the end of heating element arm 22 by contacting heating element arm 22 on the back side at walls 50, on the sides of heating element arm 22 by side walls 52, and on the inner face 56 of heating element arm 22 by retaining lips 54. As pick and comb attachment 40 is slid over the end of heating element arm 22 it may be held in place by a friction fit between the inside of shell 42 wrapping around and contacting the shape of heating element arm 22, without interfering with the surface of heating element 26 or the closing of arms 22.

While the preferred method of attaching pick and comb attachment 40 is a friction fit having surfaces that wrap around the end of heating element arm 22, alternative attachment means may be used in other embodiments. For example, some adhesives that resist higher temperatures may be used to glue or adhere shell 42 to the back of heating element arm 22. If glue is used, retaining lips 54 may not be needed, but comb teeth 44 would still extend beyond the surface of heating element 26, at the sides of heating element 26. The adhesive may be placed on the inside of walls 50 and side walls 52.

Other embodiments may use straps or bands behind heating element 26 closer to hinge 24, where the bands may wrap around heating element arm 22 so that the band does not interfere with heating element 26 or the closing of heating element arms 22.

Yet another embodiment may use small screws that penetrate through walls 50 into the surface of the back of heating element arm 22. If screws or similar fasteners are used, such fasteners should be short so that they do not penetrate the back of heating element arm 22 and interfere with electrical wires or heating element 26.

If the back of heating element arm 22 has holes or other ridges or contours, shell 42 may be custom designed to mount, grip, or attach to the specific shape of heating element arm 22. A custom shell may extend into openings or have lips that grip ridges or slots that may appear on the sides or back of heating element arm 22. Shell 42 may have finger-like projections that snap into slots or indentions in the shape of heating element arm 22 as shell 42 is pressed and snapped onto the back of heating element arm 22.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, hair pick 46 extends from the end of shell 42, with a longitudinal axis of hair pick 46 substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of heating element arm 22, and the longitudinal axis of opening 48. In a preferred embodiment, pick 42 moves from a retracted position 58 to an extended position 60 along the longitudinal axis of hair pick 46. Extended position 60 is shown with dotted lines in FIG. 3. The movement indicated by arrow 64 in FIG. 3 may be actuated by sliding hair pick 46 using pick slider button 62 that moves along button slot 66.

Hair pick 46 passes through an opening 70 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) as it extends from shell 42, where opening 70 preferably has a shape conformed to the cross-sectional shape of hair pick 46. As shown in FIG. 6, hair pick 46 may have a rectangular cross-sectional shape, which keeps it from rotating when located in opening 70 that has a rectangular shape.

As shown in FIG. 6, pick slider button 62 in button slot 66 extends above shell 42 where it may be easily moved with a finger or thumb. The end of hair pick 46 near slider button 62 may include guides 68 that slide along channel walls 70 of pick channel 74. Guides 68 are preferably friction fit between channel walls 70 so that pick 46 stays in place, whether extended or retracted. Guides 68 may have an outward spring force to more forcefully engage channel walls 70. Detents or another such mechanical locking device may be used in various places along pick channel 74 in order to secure pick 46.

In a preferred embodiment, hair pick 46 is extendable, wherein it moves or slides along its longitudinal axis between a retracted and extended position. In alternative embodiments of the present invention, hair pick 46 may move in other ways. For example, hair pick 46 may rotate about a pivot point similar to the way a blade in a pocket knife opens. A pivoting hair pick 46 may rotate in a plane parallel or perpendicular to a plane of the surface of heating element 26. Additionally, a pivoting hair pick 46 may be set when extended in several different positions, or at several different angles, with respect to shell 42. For example, while hair pick 46 is shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5 extending from shell 42 with the longitudinal axis of hair pick 46 substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of heating element arm 22, the longitudinal axis of hair pick 46 may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of heating element arm 22, or may be at another angle with respect to shell 42.

When hair pick 46 is moveable and located in a retracted position, all portions of hair pick 46 are preferably held close to, or contained within, shell 42 so that hair pick 46 is unlikely, or less likely, to snag or poke other objects.

While in a preferred embodiment hair pick 46 is movable between retracted and extended positions, alternative embodiments of the present invention may include a hair pick that is fixed or stationary with respect to shell 42.

A first embodiment of the present invention described above comprises an attachment that is added or retrofitted to a styling iron that is known in the prior art. A second embodiment of the present invention is a new hair styling iron that has a hair pick and comb teeth integrally formed into a heating element arm of a hair styling iron. In this second embodiment, hair pick 46 is coupled directly to heating element housing 90, which is the portion of heating element arm 22 that supports and covers the back side of heating element 26. If hair pick 46 is fixed, or not movable, hair pick 46 is molded directly into heating element housing 90, where it extends out from heating element arm 22 in a way similar to that shown in FIG. 5. Alternatively, if pick 46 is movable, heating element housing 90 may include a channel similar to pick channel 74 in which hair pick 46 may slide between a retracted position and an extended position.

In this second embodiment of the invention, comb teeth 44 may be molded directly into heating element housing 90, adjacent to heating element 26, so that they extend perpendicularly beyond the outer surface of heating element 26.

The design of hair pick 46 and comb teeth 44 on the new styling iron are much the same as described above with reference to pick and comb attachment 40, except that on the styling iron embodiment, these features are molded into, which supports, encases, and covers the back side of heating element 26. Heating element housing 90 is preferably made of plastic, and may be the same plastic material that forms the entire heating element arm 22.

When using a styling iron with the pick and comb features of the present invention, the operator first extends the hair pick and uses the hair pick to part and select a selected bundle of hair 28 (See FIG. 2). Hair bundle 28 should include a manageable number of hair strands that can form a thin layer of hair over the surface of heating element 26.

After the bundle of hair 28 is selected, the operator may close the heating element arms 22 so that heating elements 26 contact the bundle on two sides near the scalp and so that comb teeth 44 penetrate into hair bundle 28. Then the operator may draw the styling iron over the length of bundle of hair 28 with a relatively fast stroke so that the comb engages the hair and separates and aligns the strands of hair. These initial strokes may be used to comb the hair with comb teeth 44 so that the hair will be straight, separated, and fully extend from the scalp. These combing steps may eliminate the need to use brush 30 to prepare bundle of hair 28 as shown in FIG. 1.

Next, the operator once again closes heating elements 26 on bundle of hair 28 near the person's scalp and slowly draws the styling iron along the length of bundle of hair 28 in a direction away from the person's scalp. With the slow movement, heat from heating element 26 is allowed to straighten and flatten the hairs of hair bundle 28 because the slow movement causes heating element 26 to remain in contact with the hair for a longer time. Comb teeth 44 help maintain the straight alignment of hair across the surface of heating element 26 while the heat is penetrating and straightening the hairs. Comb teeth 44 may also provide some tension on the strands of hair that further straightens the hair while it is in contact with heating element 26. This additional benefit is not realized when a separate brush or comb is used with a styling iron.

These steps are then repeated for each subsequent newly selected bundle of hair 28 until the desired hairstyle is produced. It should be apparent to persons skilled in the art of styling hair that the present invention reduces the need for swamping between a brush and a styling iron because the functions of the brush and styling iron are combined in the present invention. This combination produces additional benefits such as the separation, alignment, and tensioning of hair as it passes over the surface of heating element 26.

The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled. 

1. An apparatus for use in styling hair comprising: an attachment body including attachment means for attaching the attachment body to a heating element arm of a hair styling iron; a hair pick extending from the attachment body for separating hair on a scalp; and a plurality of comb teeth extending from the attachment body and positioned to engage and guide hair that is in contact with a heating element of the hair styling iron when the attachment body is attached to the heating element arm.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the hair pick extends beyond the end of the heating element arm when the attachment body is attached to the heating element arm.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of comb teeth extend perpendicular to a plane of a heating element surface when the attachment body is attached to the heating element arm.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the hair pick is moveably mounted to the attachment body for moving between a retracted position and an extended position.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the hair pick is slidably mounted in a pick channel, and wherein the hair pick includes guides extending from the hair pick to engage channel walls of the pick channel.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the hair pick slides along a longitudinal hair pick axis that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the heating element arm.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the attachment body further includes a shell having sidewalls, wherein the shell is adapted to contact a back side of the heating element arm, and the sidewalls are adapted to contact the sides of the heating element arm, and wherein the mounting means further includes a retaining lip extending from the sidewalls for contacting the front of the heating element arm adjacent to the heating element.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the hair pick is moveably mounted to the attachment body for moving between a retracted position and an extended position.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the shell is made from a thermal insulating material.
 10. A hair styling iron for use in styling hair comprising: a pair of heating element arms pivotally coupled by a hinge at a hinge end of the heating element arms; a heating element at a heating element end of one of the heating element arms; a hair pick extending from the heating element end of one of the heating element arms for manipulating hair on a scalp; and a plurality of comb teeth extending from the heating element arm to engage and guide hair when the hair is in contact with the heating element.
 11. The hair styling iron according to claim 10 further including a removable shell at the heating element end of one of the heating element arms, wherein the hair pick and the comb teeth are connected to the removable shell.
 12. The hair styling iron according to claim 11 wherein the shell is made from a thermal insulating material, and wherein the shell does not contact the heating element when the heating element arms are closed.
 13. The hair styling iron according to claim 10 wherein the hair pick extends beyond the heating element end of the heating element arm.
 14. The hair styling iron according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of comb teeth extend perpendicular to a plane of a heating element surface of the heating element.
 15. The hair styling iron according to claim 10 wherein the hair pick is moveably mounted to the heating element end of the heating element arm for moving between a retracted position and an extended position.
 16. The hair styling iron according to claim 15 wherein the hair pick is slidably mounted in a pick channel, and wherein the hair pick includes guides extending from the hair pick to engage channel walls of the pick channel.
 17. The hair styling iron according to claim 15 wherein the hair pick slides along a longitudinal hair pick axis that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the heating element arm.
 18. The hair styling iron according to claim 10 further including two heating elements, with one heating element at the heating element end of each heating element arm, wherein the heating elements have flat surfaces, and further including a removable shell at the heating element end of one of the heating element arms, wherein the comb teeth and an extendable hair pick are connected to the removable shell. 